Horse beaten, burned with cigarettes
Ocala, FL (US)Incident Date: Friday, Apr 25, 2008
County: Marion
Disposition: Open
Case Images: 2 files available
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
The Levy County Sheriff's Office is investigating a horse attack at a equine rescue center near Ocala. The owners of Beauty's Haven Farm and Equine Rescue, Inc. say one the horses in their care, Sunny , was violently injured in the overnight hours of April 25.
The attack was the third time in just one month that the animal had been abused by an unknown assailant. The 15 year old Palomino is one of two horses which were saved from an auction a day before Easter.
Around 7 a.m. on Saturday, April 26, owners found fresh wounds on Sunny which appeared to have been created by a whip or blunt instrument. The horse also received cigarette burns and had a large scrape on his shoulder. Owners believe the shoulder wound may have been self-inflicted, brought on as the horse attempted to escape its attacker.
The horse was treated by a veterinarian and is recovering. Still, anywhere you touch him, he flinches. "He has a lot of sore spots. There was a lot of swelling that came up yesterday," says Theresa Batchelor, owner of Beauty's Haven. "We bring him here to protect them. This isn't suppose to happen," she adds.
According to property owners, Sunny's injuries are very similar to ones that a pony mare sustained a few months earlier. Investigators are trying to determine if the attacks are connected.
The owners, who live on the property, find the attacks very troubling and don't understand why anyone would want to hurt the animals. "I have absolutely no idea, no idea, and its scary," said Batchelor.
Security lights had been installed to deter further attacks. Owners say security cameras are also an option in the future, but are presently cost-prohibitive. In the meantime, plans are in place to put up an electric fence around the perimeter of the property and possibly acquire a guard dog. References« FL State Animal Cruelty Map
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